There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son. And the judgment is based on this fact: God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed. [John 3:18-20 (NLT)]
Occasionally, I’ll spot a partially open moonflower (Ipomoea alba) during an early morning walk at the park. While the Moonflower’s cousin the Morning Glory opens wide to welcome the sunlight, the Moonflower prefers darkness. It’s only when the sun sets that it opens to a large trumpet-shaped bloom. Rather than competing during the day with brightly colored flowers for pollinators like bees and butterflies, Moonflowers enjoy pollinators like bats and moths at night. As the morning sun rises, the Moonflower again rejects the light and rolls up into itself.
The Moonflower’s rejection of the sun reminds me of those people who, preferring darkness, reject Jesus, the light of the world. Some people choose the dark because they don’t know or understand God’s word or doubt its authenticity. At best, they may think of Scripture as a guide to good living and, at worst, a work of fiction along the lines of The Odyssey and The Iliad. Others may reject the light because of painful personal experiences with the church, the hypocrisy they’ve seen in people claiming to be Christ’s followers, or the church’s failures regarding abuse, morality, prejudice, and righting wrongs.
While a Moonflower can never become a Morning Glory in my garden, they can in God’s! An unbeliever can become a believer and glory in the light of Christ. But, for that to happen, we must do a better job of sharing the light of the Lord and being Christ-like in all we do. As God’s gardeners, if we gently correct misunderstandings and misconceptions and witness Jesus in our words and actions, some of those choosing darkness may turn to God’s light.
Nevertheless, while some people may have their reasons for rejecting the light, I suspect many reject Jesus simply because (like a Moonflower) they prefer the darkness to the light. While they might even know the truth of Christianity, they’re like the Jews who believed in Jesus but, fearful of the Pharisees, wouldn’t admit it and remained in the darkness. John tells us they “loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God.” [12:43] Perhaps, like the rich man who walked away from Jesus because he valued his earthly possessions more than eternal life, they find the ideas of sacrifice, selflessness, humility, submission, righteousness, repentance, or forgiveness to be stumbling blocks. The cost of discipleship, of carrying their own cross and following Christ—is too great. Jesus may stand at the door and knock, but it’s up to each person to decide whether to open it! Sadly, not everyone will.
The issue is now clear. It is between light and darkness and everyone must choose his side. [G.K. Chesterton]
Devotions of the Heart 